L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY T he journey from Sicily to California was an oppor- tune one for many Italians immigrating from "the old coun- try." Landscape architect and artist, Robert (Bob) La Rocca's parents both immigrated to the U.S. at an early age, growing up in San Jose. Bob himself is a native San Franciscan, born and raised in San Francisco's North Beach District, fondly referred to as Little Italy. La Rocca describes those early days in the City this way: "I was born in San Francisco in 1938. My parents never spoke Italian to me because they believed in America and its future was to speak English. I learned a little Italian from my many trips to Italy. All my friends were Italian in school. I went to the Salesian Grammar school at Saints Peter and Paul Church. I joined the Salesian Boys' Club when I was nine years old. They took us to concerts, plays, and cultural events. Our director at that time said we were to become leaders not followers." Robert La Rocca did just that. He went on to graduate from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in landscape architecture and later from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University with a Master's Degree. Upon his return to San Francisco, he was employed by the prestigious landscape architectural firm of Lawrence Halprin and Associates. Halprin's celebrated projects include Berkeley's Sproul Plaza, Ghirardelli Square, and Sea Ranch on the California coast. And thus began La Rocca's long and illustrious career as a landscape architect. Perseverance and hard work brought rewards. In 1973 he went into private practice with partners, Fong, Jung & La Rocca, Inc., with offices in San Francisco, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. In 1980 he was appointed to the San Francisco Art Commission, on which he served for fourteen years, becoming President in 1987. In 1995, La Rocca was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. An honorary Ph.D. was awarded by the San Francisco Academy of Art College in 1990. Now in private practice as Robert La Rocca & Associates, he has offices in San Francisco, Oakland, Shanghai and Tokyo. Projects are located all over the world, including ventures for Raychem Corporation in Germany, urban planning in Saipan and a chateau in France. Closer to home, he sits on the San Francisco Art Commission Citizens' Advisory Committee for selection of art at San Francisco International Airport. La Rocca describes his jour- ney this way: "my exposure to art started at San Francisco City College, where I enrolled in pre- architecture courses. I took sculpture and design classes with the goal of going to UC Berkeley. I have always known my place since I worked as a stu- dent, part-time, at Podesta Baldocchi, a then famous San Francisco florist shop. Once at UC, I took more sculpture cours- es and within three years, I grad- uated. "I toured Europe with a national student group. That is when I started to see fine arts and the Italian way: it was in 1961. My mother had saved all my paper route monies for years just so I could go to Europe. She CATHERINE ACCARDI The Art & Landscape Architecture of Robert La Rocca had great foresight. I saw all the great fountains, plazas, villas, and museums. That was the beginning of my experience with world art. When I was accepted at Harvard, my parents were so proud since they had little, almost no education. "It was then that I was also exposed to the history of land- scape architecture from my pro- fessor, who spent many hours lecturing on Italian villas and fountains, and their construction. The Italian villas set the standard all other European nations fol- lowed: France, England, Russia. These were the classic gardens with classical art. So after gradu- ation, I was hired by Lawrence Halprin and Associates, here in San Francisco and was given many design opportunities for plazas and fountains. This was a creative time …the 60's and the 70's." L'Italo-Americano asked La Rocca to describe his favorite projects. "What are my most exciting projects? There are so many. I like Stanford Shopping Center because it has high public use and a wonderful environ- ment; lots of fountains, plazas, art work. I like my Britannia Oyster Point (biopharmaceutical research and development cam- pus in South San Francisco). I designed a sculptural fountain for which I abstracted the concept of gene splicing into an art fountain of large granite slices with jets shooting up. I design fountains that will have a strong sculptural image even when the water is turned off, which here in California happens many times. My UC Davis Medical Building is a high point, where I designed a circular pattern and have copied into my paintings." And how did you transition to painting? "I belong to a men's club and we have a painting group that saw some of my set designs and asked me to help in paint /chalking the theater sets so in the last three years they have encouraged me to produce more art, more paintings. They have pushed me forward to where I am today. I have transferred the geometry of my plazas and foun- tains to my paintings. It comes very natural to me. Where it goes, who knows? But, so far, I'm pleased to continue painting, which I do every day on my deck at home in Cow Hollow." Robert La Rocca's art and architecture can be viewed at http://www.laroccadesign.com and http://www.laroccapaint- ings.com. Robert La Rocca poses with one of his paintings. Photo: Catherine Accardi Italian Community Services provid Bay Area Italian-American seniors and famili with trusted rourc to help them live healthy, independent and productive liv. We are commied to honoring and prerving the Italian language and culture, with an emphasis on the strength and suort that com om family, community, education and goodwill. Casa Coloniale John F. Fugazi 678 Green Street San Francisco, CA 94133 415 •362 •6423 www.italiancs.com . . • Translation for seniors /new immigrants • Community service coordination • Information and referrals

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